Is Your Air Conditioner Working Correctly?
Whew, it’s hot out there! We love summer, but sometimes the sun can be relentless… as can the humidity. What do you do when you wake up and wonder, is your air conditioner working correctly? There are many reasons it may not be and many ways a homeowner can trouble shoot before he or she has to call in a professional.
In many cases, when you’re simply not cool enough the reasons could be because:
- It’s malfunctioning
- It’s damaged because of wear and tear
- A simple operational fix (like changing a filter)
Is Your Air Conditioner Working Correctly?
There are myriad reasons an air conditioner may go on the fritz; some of them are easy fixes, some of them require the skilled services of a geothermal expert in Florida to help you cool your house again.
Here are three simple, do-it-yourself items a homeowner can check first.
Is the temperature where you thought you set it? Check the thermostat to assure it’s where you set it. If someone else is in the house with you they may have raised or lowered the temperature and that could make you think it’s hotter or colder in the house than you thought it should be. Check the thermostat settings first.
Are the circuit breakers tripped? A tripped circuit breaker can lead to many items in the house not functioning. Check other items to see if they’re working and then check the circuit breaker. Reset it to restore the power. A note of caution: If this occurs regularly you will want to talk with an electrician to assess the reason it keeps tripping.
Is the unit itself malfunctioning? Check the system to see if it’s running hot. Is the filter clogged and dirty? If you find it’s running hot and shutting itself off or if the filter is dirty you should contact a trained HVAC technician as soon as possible to prevent a fire or further malfunction of the unit.
What if the unit is running, but not pushing air as powerfully?
You’re standing in front of the unit and it’s on, but you can’t seem to feel cool air coming out. This situation leads to the comfort or, or lack of, of all who live in your house and it can also be causing potentially costly damage to the air conditioning unit if not repaired.
The reason for restricted airflow include:
- Dirty filters — we’ve mentioned that previously. Air filters need to be checked, cleaned and changed regularly. Ask your HVAC tech how often they should be changed. For most people, it is a do-it-yourself project.
- The sytem is “frozen.” When the coils aren’t cleaned regularly and dirt builds up, this negatively impacts the heat exchange in the system. A frozen system leads to excess condensation and to a system that will not perform as it should.
Has your utility bill spiked & you the temp in the house hasn’t been changed dramatically?
When you open the utility bill does it have you staggering? Why is the bill so high when the house is so warm? It doesn’t seem right! Here are a few reasons the bill may have increased:
- It’s just hotter and more humid than usual and your air conditioner is working longer and harder to cool the house.
- The unit might be cycling improperly. This means that you have the incorrect size unit for the size of your home. If it’s too small, it will have to work longer and harder and if it’s too large, it may turn off too early — before it’s cooled the house. Regardless of if the unit is too large or too small, you are wasting energy.
Before you replace the unit, give us a call. Let one of our HVAC techs inspect it and maybe you’ll find it’s a simple and inexpensive fix.
Consult us about any and all air conditioning needs at Symbiont Service Corp.today.
Our goal is to educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For information about air conditioning and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Symbiont Service Corp. serves Englewood, Florida and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
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